Friday, 29 June 2012

I'm rather mesmerized by the Wonderland series by photographer Kirsty Mitchell:

They have a very editorial feel to them, and she has made and designed the costumes herself; having worked a long time in the fashion world. However, the idea of the series has nothing to do with fashion but is a tribute to her late mother. You can see some interesting behind the scenes footage from her blog; a lot of the work is done on set and not just post production as one could asume.

Thursday, 28 June 2012

I can't believe Dag is one week already! It has all felt like just one long day since he was born. A long day with naps in between. Which it pretty much has been, and is, actually.

Giving birth is a funny thing in the sense that a few days later you have really closed the door on it so to say, it's all left in that room - you can remember it all very clearly still but just can't or won't recall it anymore.

And this little fella thinks everything so far is alright, as you can see.

PS. Yey for the nordic summer! We took these pics at ten in the evening on the balcony. You just have to love the light.
Although of course, the nights are getting shorter already, but still...

Tuesday, 26 June 2012

...apart from milking, napping and diapers. Well there really is not much else.

Just like it should at this time!

It's all about this little one right now.
Those are my old socks btw.

Although very much wishing for it; I won't be wearing these for some time still.
Because I'm not going anywhere, because I couldn't go anywhere (painful for me to move) and because I wouldn't fit them quite yet. So they hang there to be admired until better times.
Not that anyone here admires anything else than the baby for the moment.

I bought a bunch of those interior ball- lanterns in bright coulours to hang close to the crib for Dag to admire. Got a set for the countryside too; they were delivered home today. Eddi couldn't get why I had ordered such a hell of a lot of balls.

These boots were not made for walking.
Aren't they just hearbreaking? I wanted to get a pair of similar ones from etsy but for some reason the seller would not ship to Finland so darling Kimberle and her mom crocheted me a pair for Dag instead!
Thank you!

Monday, 18 June 2012

I took a false start and wore the bolero already as it could fit me. Sort of.

My bag is from Ted Baker. I got it for myself as a reward of finally going to the dentist a couple of weeks back. And, btw, here's a good example (I, that is) that you can do the eternal roll hair-do with short hair also! It just requires a little more effort in the back to stay put.

Sunday, 17 June 2012

I get these periods when I constantly browse dresses. Goddamit I just can't get enough of wanting myself lots of nice dresses! And I know I never have the time to actually wear them as much as they'd deserve. But still, can't help it. Usually the most extreme madness goes away after a couple of days of constant craving and constant browsing. But now of course it feels extra nice to think about being able to wear dresses with a sharp waistline soon again... And already I have a couple of 'new' vintage ones in stock waiting for me, that I got as early as in winter, and one that I got just now (that you could see me trying to try on on my FB page)...

I can tell you that one of the above is on it's way to me already. And I'm going to get one other too. Just need to wait to see how well I get my measurements back after having babeed then to know which size to get.

Saturday, 16 June 2012

We had all the albums at home. I don't really know what it was with him, but I suppose it was that I found him so cute and preppy.

I was also very much in love with Lucky Luke. Because he was cool and handsome.

At some point there was one comic in which he kissed a saloon dancer. (Slut!) I was very disappointed

(I still today don't really know how to relate to the films where they have actual human beings portraying the guys...no one can ever be right I guess.)

But my little three-four-five year old heart did beat for others than just cartoon characters. While my sister was in love with Mc Gyver I had a thing for, yes, David Hasselhoff dressed in leather as no one less than the Knight Rider of coure. (Btw: best. Intro. Ever. Although the Equalizer intro was pretty epic too.)

But most of all, and, I really do not know where this came from, I was in love with Julio.

Julio Iglesias. Not any of those whiny ones from today, but the original.

There was a poster of Julio in the middle of a spiral staircase in Heikintori shopping centre where we lived. I still go there nowadays btw, as the post office and eco store is located there. While this maybe could be considered n actualy shoping centre thirty years ago it's more of a sad little gathering of shops nowadays as it looks pretty much the same then as now, coin slot machines and all.

Well anyway mom used to tell me to close my eyes and then lead me to the poster and I went for the trick every single time, going all red and embarrased hiding behind my her when I opened my eyes and saw she had lead me to Julio. We had some records of him at home, can't remember ever listening that much to them but I remember this record cover; I think it was the same picture on that god damn poster in the stairs too.

Thursday, 14 June 2012

It's very simple and probably something many of you have done before in similar versions.
It's good for that last day before you need to wash it, as it stays easily put that way.

First, let's take a look at it again, because as I said here just before, you can learn a lot just by looking at what it is you want to remake:

(You can click for a bigger view)
However, not everything is revealed here just by looking - which is the point of some hair do's, as is it with this one. My hair is now at the shortest it has ever been, which makes it hard for it to "stay put" when I try to fasten it. Pincurls have to be rolled in mini size in the back, too small to look good in an updo. My hair won't fit neatly around a rat, or stay in a ponytail without pinning it on the side. Depending on the day I might need extra pins for the shortest hairs in the neck, which ruins the sleek look of a roll or bun. Also, the roll turns out rather pjunig, tiny, since m hair is so short. Here's where the accessories come in handy - they can not only be used to enchant the 'do, but to cover up some of the extra work that needs to be done!

In general, a good tip for a easily achieved fancier-than-it-actually-is look that works for as well long and short hair, is to concentrate on your hair in the front and just gather the hair in the back and cover it with something nice.

This trick is good for you if you
a) have very short hair
b) are not skilled enough to do your hair in the back (as in, turns out uneven or messy - not good!)
c) have a lack of time

I do a lot of burlesque themed bachelorette workshops where I style the bride to be or the whole group, and this comes in handy then.
(Ehrm, btw: I'm available for such at the end of summer again. Just sayin'...)

If you suck at styling, try to learn at lest one thing that will work for you. You can do it!

2) make a quick and simple bun or chignon in the back and pin well for it to stay

3) cover the hair with lots and lots of decorations. Something simpler like a scarf or bow or one big flowers will be good for everyday wear, while more glittery and colourful flowers puts your head into party mode!

(Note: not that there's anything wrong with a sleek bun or so either, it can be very beautiful and elegant, but this was for when you are in a hurry and might not have the time to make it all that nice. Or if you were not capable to do it in the first place. Hehe.)

If your hair is super short, roll up or wave it in front and just pin all the rest together in the back and cover it with as many flower pins and -clips as you can fit! You can curl very short hair in the front nicely too, I have done it to ladies, so it's possible. If you can't manage anything, pin smoothly to the side and put in a flower there too. Ta-da, up do feeling achieved!

But now, back to the actual apple-blossom do, which pretty much follows the steps above and also gives a feeling of slightly longer hair.

The beginning is done like my very first hair tutorial (<- link); you start by parting your hair either in the middle or to the side. If you have bangs, let them hang in front or roll them in the way you prefer.

Take the hair in front from just above your ear and twist it half, or one way, around itself. If you have bangs that are long enough and want them away from your face you can grab them along. If your hair is very thin and/or slippery hair you can tease the hair a bit for volume and stay. Otherwise you can get it very big and high just with the help of the combs.

Secure the section with a comb, pushing it slightly forward for height. You should always twist the comb a bit and never stick it straight in, it won't stay put that way (unless it is just for decorative use and you stick it straight down in a chignon in the neck or so).. Put the comb in from above and then turn it the same way as your head, or, depending on your hair, you put it in sideways and give it a 180 degree turn. I use a shorter comb for the side of the smaller parting.

Take the hair behind your ear along the neckline and twist it in and upwards a couple of times, towards the middle of your neck.
Don't roll it all the way to the middle though, as then your shortest hairs will start falling out - I stop a little bit after the ear.

Secure with a firm bobbypin pushed inwards.
If you feel you need it, put another pin across the first one.

Next, we get to the rolling: grab the hair that's now gathered in the back and roll it upwards in a small roll. I use both hands in the beginning, and roll the hair around the index finger of one hand. You can let go with the other hand once the roll starts to be in place (well, obviously you also have to, unless you have a third hand available for pinning...)

Secure the roll from the side. I usually use one alligator clip per side, that I grab all hair from the the scalp and the roll with. You can also use two bobby pins per side. Carefully pull out the roll a little to cover the clips or the pins. Spray and sleek the roll with your hand from the neck upwards.

If you are having a slippery hair day, you might have to do this a couple of times to get it right. Teasing the hair a bit, or adding some spray can help. If your hair is a bit longer you can of course use a rat or a piece of tulle in this phase too.

If you have small loose hairs pin them carefully underneath the roll. Spray some more. You might also have to add a few pins to the top, if your hair is so short it keeps falling out. Just stick them in and spray, they'll be covered by your acessorie in the end...

...which actually comes now already, as we're pretty much done!

Take your chosen accessory and fasten it just above the roll. For this I would recommend flowers that are on pins or clips, not combs. Put in as many as you want. Done!

The roll can, although a bit small, still look nice un-covered too, those days it will stay easily together withouth too much extra pinning. For more a casual look I then do this one with a flat or sideways standing big pincurl in front, and a scarf around my head. The scarf stays well in place under the roll (and covers any extra pins in the neck). I pin the scarf with one pin on each side of the head for comfortable stay.

Woooh, the wifi works all the way out here to my little outdoor "lounge"!
What better way to sit in the middle of beautiful nature while being online too, yeah!
Although the sunshine is making it rather hard for me to see what I'm doing...

Anyway, that means I can post about it right away; revealing the winner of the Rock n'Hair giveaway!

Wednesday, 13 June 2012

Let's take a closer look at the maternity-wear-and-after-dress I made a couple of weeks back.

The fabric is a slightly stretchy and soft cotton; it's very comfy so I've been wearing this a lot!

Let's see if I will feel it at all with a belt then afterwards...

(Well hello there, plus twenty kilos!)

Many comment on the fact that I do't use patterns. I wrote it out as someone always asks for the pattern when it's some piece of clothing I've done myself. And like I said, I have never used patterns, I don't "know" how, I just try to figure things out myself. After that one obligatory year of having both in the third or fourth grade, I chose carpentry which I had all trough high school. Except for one week when we were about 12 years old and switched to sewing class. Then I made a pair of shit ugly pants using a pattern. But that's how I learned what the pieces of a pair of trousers should look like, sort of.

And here's a universal truth for you, that applies to very many things in different fields: you can learn quite a lot about something by looking at it. It applies to make up, hairdo's, clothing. All the clothes I've ever made have been by looking at how other pieces are built, by drawing the pieces in a scrapbook and try to figure out how and what to cut. It works!

So for this dress I looked at a shirt of mine and a dress of mine. Turns out I had to cut hte piece a little bit differently than I first had thought, to get the collar right. But as I studied the seams of the shirt and dress I knew how to make this one!

It has buttons all the way down, but actually it only buttons up half way down.

The buttons are just for decorative use, I fasten it with press-on buttons. It's becuase I haven't figured out how to use the button hole thing on my sewing machine :)

And of course, the perfect day dress had pockets - so does this one! The button here too is just decorative, although I have plans to make it actually function; to be able to close the pockets. Eventually.

Tuesday, 12 June 2012

Every now and then I get some question and emails about my tattoos, and tattoos in general. Why, what, where when and so on. So, I thought we'd go trough them, one by one - which can be good for me too as I am so used to them I don't even notice them anymore and sometimes forget some of them are even there.

And as today is Sailor Jerry day it's a good day to start isn't it?
I'll start with one of the latest ones, which is my sad sailor girl on the inside of my left lower arm:

I got it made last spring, the tattoo was a gift from Eddi. It's made by Sailor Andy at Legacy. He's a Swedish speaking Finn like I am and has made most of my pieces. And as with most of those pieces, it's originally drawn by me, and modified by him a bit.

People always ask "what do this and that tattoo mean".
Well, I don't think tattoos have to mean that much. They can just be there for aesthetical reasons. Or funny reasons. Or for a stupid reason. Really, whatever you feel like. I don't mean I think you should just go to the nearest shop and pick one flash out from the book on they have in the waiting room table. (But then again, if you see something there in that book that really speaks to you then why not.) The important thing is that you LIKE it. The tattoo does not have to have multiple meanings with Freudian layers and whatever,; you know, sometimes when people start dwelling on and on about some sacral meaning of their ink I start thinking bla bla bla bla bla what to get from the grocery store next and stop being so full of yourself. But does dot not mean your chosen piece can't have a reason or a story behind it either. It can just be anything, and some tattoos have more meaning than others, it's alright to be both deep and shallow about them.

This one is because, well, I like the sea, and I have been a harbour worker since 2001. And it's a folded paper ship in her hand, because I haven't ever worked on a ship. We'll that's not really the reason for the paper ship. It's just there because it suited the picture. Which is actually inspired by a picture of, ehrm, me. (Remember this series from 2010?) But it's not a tattoo of me though, just a picture of a sad sailorette that is rather me.

I know some people who say they'd want a tattoo but they don't know what to get and think for years and years about what symbolizes them best. And you know, it's never going to happen then. I've taken most of my pictures with rather short consideration actually. I get the idea and am all "YES". Although sometimes I've had to wait for the realization quite a while though. Haven't changed my mind about anything so far. I'm not totally sure this could be handed out as general advice though, but it has worked for me...

Monday, 11 June 2012

I fixed a little something among the lilacs in front of the house in the countryside!

A well hidden little sitting place!

There used to be a swing before, but no one sat there as the lilac trees were over grown and it was hard to reach. I cut away lots and lots and lots of branches and dug up some treelets (<- new word for tiny trees!) that were in the way plus cleared the ground of weeds. We moved the swing to a better spot; under the apple trees on the other side of the house.

Turned out a good place for morning coffee or just random day dreaming together with the cats.

PROFILE

About life on the burlesque stage and behind my mac. I do design, pilates and red lips, enjoy wine and beautiful dresses, am fond of high heels and fancy hair, monkeys and seamen. I love rautalanka, my cats and my car. And most of all my little Dag and my Eddi. And I don't think anyone should take themselves too seriously!. This blog is about a little bit of everything actually, mainly the good stuff. To contact me send mail to: freelancersfashion@gmail.com but do note that I am not interested in taking "guest posts" or any other form of advertising anything for free. Read the "Please Note" section under the header first.